Here lies a fallen brother, father and husband.
As we bury him six feet under the warm sand,
And overlay his body layer by layer,
We say this poignant prayer:
"May his soul bear boundless bliss.
May his magnific memory manifest under the sun's kiss.
Lest we forget how his life he sacrificed.
May his spirit be forever sanctified.
There is no greater glory than falling in battle.
The life of a battler so bare and brittle.
May he find comfort in his last resting place.
The fallen hero of the human race.
God bless this man's mortal soul here where he lies.
May he be released from all tangible ties,
And enter into his everlasting safe haven.
Here lies an addition to the armies of heaven.
His vocation is concluded here on earth.
And now he must reunite with his fallen brothers in death.
Until we meet again Ben.
Amen and amen. "

Emotions creeping in on me.
Heart bleeding in on me.
Tis in the past! Tis in the past!
Not the first to hurt, not the last.
Why does the pain still linger?
Wrapped around sorrow's finger.
Make it go away! Make it stop!
It stings so bad, make it stop.
God watching me suffer.
I've nothing left to offer.
I pray, and I pray.
Till I've nothing left to say.
I cry, and I cry.
Till I've no tears left to cry. Why?
Eyes dry as the desert.
Yet heart's still in the dirt.
These wounds won't heal.
Life's a turning wheel.
I'd like off of this ride.
Pride and glory aside.
Let me go.
Please let me go.
What is it I'm paying for?
What is it I'm praying for?
Are my sins that great?
All I see is heaven's gate.
Take me away.
I've nothing left to say.

To love is to cheerfully cherish.
I wish I'd said that I loved you more and more each day.
To lose the one you love is to painfully perish.
I wish you were still here with me this day.

To love is to unconditionally trust.
I wish I'd held you close to me more and more each day.
Showed you that it was more than just lust.
I wish you were still here with me this day.

Roaring pain lingering timelessly
Grief haunting my soul tirelessly
It is my dear love, forced to the other side kicking and screaming
Please wake me for I must be dreadfully dreaming
My beloved was violently torn from my arms and eyes
Save me from this sorrow and tell me it's all lies
Tell me my beloved still draws breath
Tell me my beloved was not taken by death
I find peace in believing that it's for the best
That there is no suffering in final rest
I sincerely hope that it is true
Because I still long for you

My dear old lover and friend
I write this with tear filled eyes
A broken and scattered heart
I just heard the news of your passing
I heard that you were violently torn from this earth
You were not at fault
You fell victim to senseless behavior
My condolences are with your family
And all those you held dear
Including me I hope
I'm deeply saddened by your sudden departure
You deserved so much more
I wish you had lived longer to realize your dreams
But unfortunately you were called to the heavens
I truly hope that you are in a better place
I hope that you have found great peace
Rest in eternal power and peace
I am sorry you had to leave the world of the living so soon
Gone but never forgotten
Lost but never forsaken

With love
Your old friend
Goodbye old friend

Sons of the soil.
Daughters of the soil.
Wake up and rejoice, for its the day of your heritage.
Celebrate your culture, for it is your privilege.

You are Africa, Africa is you.
A nation so diverse and true.
A real rainbow nation.
Deeply rooted in our tradition.

Nna ke mo Tswana, ebile ke motlotlo ka bo Tswana bame.
Nna ke mo Pedi, ebile ka ikgantsha ka go nna mo Pedi.
Mna ndi ngum Xhosa, ubona nje, ndiyazi dla ngo buXhosa bam.
Mina ngi ngum Zulu qobo, futhi ngiyazi qhenya.

On this day, remember who you are.
On this day, commemorate who you are.
Take pride in your true identity.
Let there be peace and serenity.
In South Africa our land.
Together may we all stand.

Le ga ole moTswana wa Afrika.
Noba ungu m'Xhosa wase Afrika.
Le ha ole mo Sotho wa Afrika Borwa.
Are rataneng. Masi thandaneni.

On this day, speak your mother tounge.
On this day, sing your clan song.
A moTswana eme a kgibe.
UmXhosa maka phakame axhentse.
UmZulu maka sukume agide.
A moPedi a emelle bine.

Sons of the soil.
Daughters of the soil.
Wake up and rejoice, for its the day of your heritage.
Celebrate your culture, for it is your privilege.

To my brother.
From me, your sister.

I wish you quit the reckless drinking.
It turns you into a senseless being.
Mom is tired. She is hurting.
The constant crying and fighting.
Our family is torn.
uMakhulu is gone.
No one knows how to help you.
We still have hope, for the skies are still blue.
I lost all respect for you the night you laid hands on our mother.
Your son is ashamed of identifying you as his father.
But for as long as I live,
I am willing to forgive.
For as long as our mother lives, I can't give up on hope for your redemption.
She never stops praying and pleading to God for your salvation.
I hope you see the light, before it's too late.
I hope you release your heart from all the self-hate.
It doesn't matter where your substance abuse originated.
But you become a monster when you're intoxicated.
There's a thin line between a fun night out and alcohol abuse.
There's more to life than just drugs and *****.
God did not bring you here to drink 'till the death.
That was not the purpose of your birth.
I pray that you realise your true purpose and full potential.
The life you're leading is not practical.
And we plead with you to put this to an end.
Alcolol is your worst enemy and not your trusted friend.
You are capable of achieving so much more.
I always remember what you were like before.
The ambitious, talented and full of life.
I hope you find your wings and fly.
It's sad that no one visits anymore, because they fear you.
They fear for their lives, and what you might do.
Myself included too.
In all my dreams, you are attacking me, chasing me.
Is this really who you want to be?
I wish you could see yourself the way that we see you.
And maybe, you will desire to change too, as much as we do.
Your behavior is bad to an extent that we sometimes wish you would die.
That somehow life without in it would be better, no lie.
I'm not saying this to hurt you.
But only you can change how we feel about you.
By letting go of the things that you do.
I pray you gain the strength that you need.
To face your demons without the beer and the ****.
I want you to know that we love you and we care.
Whenever you're ready to do better we will be here.
We want to be a whole family again.
We want to be happy and free from pain.
I believe you can change.
You are not stuck in a cage.
You have us. From the bottom of my heart,
Please stop tearing us apart.


With love.
Your baby Sister.